Registrar of Deeds:  The County Clerk's Office is the legal repository for all legal documents affecting real estate.  Records kept in the office include:  Plats, deeds, patents, mortgages, and many other instruments.  These records are used by the general public, title companies, abstractors, oil and gas men/women, attorneys and credit bureaus.  These instruments serve legal purposes, and are used in building abstracts, public information, constructing credit reports, proving ownership and for genealogical purposes.  Kay County land records began in 1893 with the original patents from the Oklahoma Land Run.  Recordings have been kept daily since the Land Run, and are current to date.
     Other records kept in the county clerk's office:
Military discharge records beginning in 1917, miscellaneous records (such as petitions to incorporate cities/towns, election returns for 1902, etc.) court judgements, IRS and Oklahoma tax liens, mechanic and materialmens liens, physicians and hospital liens, and UCC filings.
     The County Clerk is secretary to the Board of County Commissioners, County Excise Board, and all other county boards, including three public trusts.  Duties as secretary include:
     Attend meetings, take notes, prepare minutes, publish commissioners minutes in all newspapers, keep files of all proceedings from meetings, complete all paperwork, etc.  Commissioners proceedings or minutes began in 1893 shortly after the Land Run.
     Budgets:
     The County Clerk is responsilbe for obtaining and checking annual budgets for each school district and cities and towns (cities and towns that have not filed under the Municipal Budget Act).  All of these budgets are then approved by the County Excise Board, and filed with the State Auditor and Inspector.
     School Records:
     Upon the Legislature abolishing the County Superintendent of Schools Office, the County Clerk was mandated the duty of maintaining school records, and making such records accessible to the public.
     School records are available beginning in 1897.  In 1897 Kay County had 88 school districts, compared to the present nine.
     Surveyor Records:
     Upon the Legislature abolishing the County Surveyor Office, the County Clerk was mandated the duty of maintaining the surveyor records, and making such records accessible to the public.
      Purchasing:
     In Kay County, the County Clerk is the purchasing agent for all county purchases, and is responsilbe for monitoring, recording, payment and filing of all purchase orders, and retaining same after approval by the commissioners.  The clerk writes all warrants in payment of all purchases.  The clerk is also required to handle six month bids for items commonly used by all county offices, including highway departments, and for special bids.
     Data Processing:
     The County Clerk is responsible for operating a computer department, determining the county's data processing needs, troubleshooting computer problems, preparing financial reports and maintaining the county's computer systems.
     Accounting Department:
     The County Clerk is responsible for preparing payroll for all county employees, computing and remitting all taxes, and is the insurance and retirement agent for all county employees, preparing W-2's, filing workers compensation claims, and recording daily receipts and disbursements for accountability.  The clerk writes remittance for law library,public building authority (DHS), and civil defense claims.
     The clerk is also responsible for writing monthly remittance checks for various revenues collected for school districts and cities/towns.
     Open Meeting Act:
     All public entities must file with the county clerk notice of regular and special meetings.  Any changes in the date, time of place of such meetings must be recorded.  The clerk is required to keep record of such notices.
     All of the above records are open to the public, with the exception of certain personnel records, the names of food stamp clients, and records regarding executive meeting sessions.
Questions or Comments Email us at:  treese@courthouse.kay.ok.us